TSUYOSHI DOMOTO is a multi-talented artist, who is a singer-song-writer, plays keyboard, guitar, bass guitar and drum, does self-produce and art design, also known as an actor and Japanese top idol, KinKi Kids.

TSUYOSHI and FUNK MUSIC

TSUYOSHI composes, writes and does arrangement all his songs of a wide variety of music such as funk, soul, blues and more. TSUYOSHI is a guitar and bass guitar player that enjoys jam session with his band members, at the same time, he recently dose programming of the digital music such as techno.

"I wanted to sing a song about LIFE." TSUYOSHI said in an interview of music magazine MG (Vol.1 2012 spring). "Funk, soul and blues allow me to sing about LIFE, even DEATH." "The lyrics that goes with funk music has a strong message with determination. I think we, Japanese, need the determination. It's not a synpathetic line like 'Oh yeah, I know how you feel', but much more strong message like 'I'll carry on like this. How about you?' That was my image of funk music."

It was not an easy attempt to start funk music in J-pop field at first. TSUYOSHI approached by starting from R&B, soul and Motown Sound made pop-like with Japanese lyrics, and slowly built his own world where he can freely express himself.

TSUYOSHI is a fan of Sly & The family stone and Jimi Hendrix, he has mentioned a few times on TV and radio. Larry Graham (ex-bass guitarist of Sly & The family stone) takes part in TSUYOSHI's song ENDLICHERI☆ENDLICHERI 2 (in Neo Africa Rainbow Ax) with slapping bass and voice.

TSUYOSHI and OTHER NAMES

As a Japanese idol began his carrier that TSUYOSHI has been engaged in a struggle to be recognized as a musician yet. In order to express his music outside the image of an idol, TSUYOSHI started using artist names for his solo work.

ENDLICHERI☆ENDLICHERI (named after African fish) was the first artist name he used under the project by the same name in 2005. It was changed to 244 ENDLI-x (pronounced 'Tsuyoshi endlix') once, but he still uses his first artist name from time to time. 剛紫 (pronounced 'TSUYOSHI') was the third name in the following project 美我空 (BIGAKU), but was not used long.

Since the summer of 2009 when he held live concerts at Yakushiji temple, his real name TSUYOSHI DOMOTO 堂本剛 came back. The current project shamanippon is run by his name too.

TSUYOSHI DOMOTO began this project in Dec, 2005. It is totally independent from Johnny's group, KinKi Kids, where he belongs to. His own official website was set up, which was exceptional among the Johnny's.

ENDLICHERI☆ENDLICHERI is produced by TSUYOSHI DOMOTO himself. TSUYOSHI composed and wrote all the songs, designed the character called sankaku as the mascot of the project, and got involved in all the details to maintain its focus on what exactly TSUYOSHI wanted to express.

"ENDLICHERI☆ENDLICHERI is, in short, TSUYOSHI DOMOTO himself as well as TSUYOSHI DOMOTO's brain.", the advertisement showed at the beginning of ENDLICHERI☆ENDLICHERI. The project name was used as his artist name too when TSUYOSHI made any work of art including music, fashion and graphic arts.

'Polypterus endlicheri endlicheri' is the full name of the fish. Polypterus means 'fish with many wings' in Japanese translation. TSUYOSHI chose the name believing to gain such wings in his work, and to be free to reach out to many places.

TSUYOSHI felt a big gap between the image of him as an idol and who he really is, and suffered from panic disorder caused by full of stree and pressure he had had ever since 18. Music was the one saved him, TSUYOSHI said later. He realized that music has such strong power and energy to grab a person badly damaged like him, and that's when he started to get serious with music. 'I'm not denying what I have been doing (as an idol KinKi Kids)', TSUYOSHI mentioned in magazine, 'but want to keep two separate rooms with a door in-between.